Food container



Aug. 31, 1937. T, a ARK 2,091,394

FOOD CONTAINER Filed April 15, 1935 l 3 Z0 2! I Tracy 5. Par K [Q 9/ 22/ 7 I6 I i 9 l8 I2 m Patented Aug. 31, 1937 UNHTED STATES PATEN GFlE FOOD CONTAINER Application April 15, 1935, Serial No. 16,406

3 Claims.

My invention relates to containers for food and the like and is adapted for the accommodation of a plurality of containers compactly assembled and arranged for use in the kitchen or to be placed in the refrigerator as desired.

It is an object of the invention to provide an assembly of containers which is particularly compact.

It is also an object of the invention to support said containers upon a table which is rotatable to allow access to any one of aplurality of containers as desired.

I desire also to provide a marginal space or recess in the support or table through which access can be easily obtained to the lower end of each individual container. I also have as an object to mount the containers upon the table so that they will be held against lateral movement relative to the table when the table is rotated and still allow the containers to be easily removed when desired.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a supporting table which will allow the passage vertically therethrough of air circulation.

5 With reference to the drawing which forms a part of this specification, Fig. 1 is a top plan view of my assembly of containers, certain parts being broken away for greater clearness.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on the plane 2; 22 Of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the table upon which the containers are supported.

Fig. 4 is a broken detail of the upper face of the base upon which the table is rotatably mounted 53 and showing the arrangement of the anti-friction bearings.

Fig. 5 is a broken section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

My device is particularly adapted for assembly 410 as a unit of a plurality of separate removable containers which are compact and conveniently arranged for use more particularly in a cupboard or refrigerator where space is limited.

My assembly consists of a plurality of contain- .15 ers l which, as shown in Fig. 1, are preferably arranged in generally circular form and a pinrality of individual units making up the assembly. I have shown four such containers, each of them occupying approximately one-fourth of the 50 circular outline of the table upon which they are supported. As will be seen from the drawing the containers are arranged with their adjacent sides spaced apart by only a small opening 2 between them. Each container is preferably made of 55 glass or porcelain, as shown at 3 in Fig. 2,

although manifestly the material of which the containers is made is not important. Each con tainer has a cover plate 4 thereon shaped to engage within the upper open end of the container and having a flange 5 overlying the upper 5 end of the container.

The containers are supported upon a table 6, which is rotatably supported upon a base i. The table is approximately circular in general shape, as seen in Fig. 3, but has along the margin thereif) of four equally spaced recesses 83, said recesses being arranged to give access beneath the lower end of each of the containers approximately midway of the side thereof. As will be seen in Fig. 2, the outer margin of the table is provided with 1 a downwardly turned flange 9, which follows the entire margin of the table including the recess 8. Above each of the recesses 8 the containers 8 are preferably roughened, as shown at iii, for more ready engagement by the operator. Centrally of the plate of sheet metal which forms the table is an opening I I to receive a stud or screw l2, which furnishes a central pivot about which the table is rotated.

While the table is preferably made as shown in Fig. 3 with recesses 8 therein to allow access to the lower end of the container, I contemplate that the table may also be made of smaller outer diameter. This construction is illustrated in Fig. 1, in which the dotted line 6 indicate-s the outer diameter of the table. Thus the containers each project somewhat beyond the margin of the table entirely around the circumference of the table so that the user can easily get his fingers under the outer portion of each of the containers.

To hold each container against lateral movement in use I provide an upstanding projection l3, which is arranged to be approximately centrally of the width of each jar or container. This projection is formed by forming a deep indentation Hi in the lower side of the sheet metal table, the upper portion of the said projection being rounded off to fit within a recess l 5 formed in the lower portion of each container. This recess in the bottom of the container conforms closely to the contour of the projection in the table so that lateral movement of the container upon the base is resisted. It will be seen, however, that each container is readily removable from the table when the fingers of the operator are engaged 5 below the container in the recess 8 of the table.

The base member 1 is preferably made of sheet metal approximately circular in shape but having its outer margin inclined downwardly, as shown at I6, and then bent radially outward at I! to has been already described.

form an annular supporting member adapted to rest upon a shelf or other support. This base has an anti-friction bearing member supported on its upper face. Said bearing is annular in shape and is formed by depressing a groove shown at 18 in the base to receive a row of balls I9. A retaining plate 28 is placed on each side of the raceway to assist in holding the balls in position.

The table is held rotatably upon the base and supported substantially upon the row of balls [9 by means of the central screw or stud I2 previously mentioned. The head 2| upon the screw overlies the table sufficiently to prevent its removal from the base and there is a nut 22 on the lower end of the screw below the base which holds the balls assembled.

To provide for circulation of air between the adjacent containers, openings 23 are formed in the table on the line between adjacent containers. These openings are spaced fairly closely together along the line between the containers and will allow a material circulation of air upwardly through the assembled device.

While I have shown a projection on the table engaging in the base of each container, it is obvious that the same result may be accomplished by having the projection on the container engaging within a recess in the table. When this is done, however, a plurality of such projections is desirable so that the container may be readily supported on a shelf or table other than the support described when the container is removed from the device.

The manner in which my device is employed It will be noted that the containers when assembled together on the table form a close and compact structure; there is no waste space between the adjacent containers except for the slight amount allowed for circu1ation of air. Each container is held from movement relative to the table when the table is rotated without the employment of any marginal flange or engagement between the container and the table other than the engagement of the recess [5 on the receptacle over the projection on the table. When access is desired to any particular one of the containers the table may be rotated on the base to bring the desired container in front of the user, who may then easily remove the container from the table.

What is claimed is:

1. A base, an approximately circular table rotatable about a vertical axis thereon, a downwardly turned flange around the outer margin of said table, said table having projections adapted to engage recesses on containers to resist relative sliding movement thereon of said containers, and marginal recesses in said table aligned radially with said projections adapted to expose the lower ends of said containers at their outer edges for access by the user.

2. A base, an approximately circular table rotatable thereon shaped to receive a plurality of containers sector-shaped in transverse section, said table having radial rows of perforations between adjacent containers, and means midway between said rows of perforations in said table below said containers adapted to engage therewith to prevent lateral movement of said containers thereon.

3. A base, an approximately circular table rotatable thereon, the outer margin of said table being turned downwardly, said table having radial rows of air openings therein to mark off sectorshaped spaces between them for containers, notches formed in the outer margin of said table to allow access to the lower ends of said containers, and means in said table spaced inwardly from said notches to engage said containers and prevent lateral movement of said containers thereon.

TRACY S. PARK. 

